11/07/2025 08:30
- 16:15
HALL: Lecture Hall 31
Proponent:
Turck J.P.
Chair:
Turck J.P.
Speaker:
David P.,
Goldberg M.N.,
Howell C.,
Jockel R.M.,
Neven Du Mont P.,
Sulzer L.,
Turck J.P.,
Von Boehn V.,
Watson B.
Although deeply engaged in the contemporary debates of his time, Eberhard Jüngel's theology could hardly be described as 'contextual' (in the sense of being narrowly confined to specific historical or cultural settings). Instead, Jüngel's work—and Hermeneutical Theology more broadly—operates within a much larger framework: "the world" as such. Popularized in early Christian discourse to denote the spatial and temporal realm inhabited by humanity, the term "world" has since accumulated a vast range of meanings throughout different disciplines.
Yet, the adequacy of "the world" as a category for describing the holistic context of human existence and divine engagement is far from self-evident. Does the term illuminate the relationship between God, humanity, and creation, or does it obscure these relationships through its conceptual ambiguity? How does Hermeneutical Theology, particularly in Jüngel's work, navigate the tension between understanding "the world" as a site of divine presence and as a realm in need of redemption? And in which ways does the concept further or rather hinder our understanding of contextual socio-cultural transformations relevant to Theology?
This panel brings together an international group of early-career scholars in Systematic Theology whose research is engaged with the thought of Eberhard Jüngel (1934-2021) and the broader tradition of Hermeneutical Theology. The discussion will explore the potential and limitations of the concept of "the world" in contemporary theological inquiry, aiming to reassess its relevance and critically examine its utility as a category for addressing the interplay of divine mystery, human existence, and the cosmos.